Scatter the Illusions of Life
by SanadaSayuri
Summary: Dreamseers know sleep is a fasismile of death, leaving them with the power to change the realm of the dead at a whim. As a result, interfering in the affairs of the dead is forbidden. Or it was, until a retired shinigami captain fathered a Dreamseer...
1. Prologue: Soul Society

**Scatter the Illusions of Life**

Disclaimer: BLEACH and belongs to Tite Kubo and related distributers.

Summary: Dreamseers know intimately that sleep is merely a facsimile of death, and that illusions are shadows of dreams, making it ridiculously easy for them to alter the tapestry of existence in the realms of the dead. For this reason, it is forbidden for a Dreamseer to interfere in the affairs of the dead. Until a retired shinigami captain's son began to dream true dreams….

Prologue

"_Do you want to save your family?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Then place your heart over this blade, and I will pour my power into you."_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bourbon eyes opened and the ginger haired teen shifted as a dark haired man's kick connected with the mattress where he had been lying only a few seconds before.

"Good Morning, Ichigo!"

"Damn it, goat face!" he yelled. "Would it kill you to not attack me for once in your life?!" He paused and frowned. "Hinoto said we are not involved with Shinigami Affairs… But my dream… This changes everything…"

"Ichigo?" Isshin asked, "What is your dream about?"

"You were a shinigami once," he said, "Why did you leave them?"

"Shouldn't you already know why?" Isshin asked his son.

"I know," Ichigo said," But soon, this family will be closely involved in the affairs of the shinigami. If one day, a young girl with poor understanding of human culture were to come to our home, would you take her in and treat her as your own daughter?"

Isshin frowned. "Would something like that ever happen?"

Ichigo shrugged. "When it will happen, I don't know, but I do know that it will happen and perhaps very soon."

Isshin gave his son a strange look and said quietly, "I would take her in as my guest if shelter she needed."

Ichigo grinned. "I'll be holding you to that, dad."

Isshin frowned, concern etched into every line of his face, and he said, "Right. Well get dressed and come down before the food gets cold."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So, why is a shinigami sleeping in your closet?"

Ichigo grinned at his father. "I told you, we will be involved in shinigami affairs soon enough."

Isshin sighed. "The same affair that you've been dreaming about for two years straight?"

Ichigo stood up and glanced out the window. "Yes" he said calmly, "and it will change the way spiritually aware humans and the realms of the dead see each other forever."

"This is dangerous," Isshin said, "Dreamseers don't interfere in the realms of the dead for a reason."

"Then why do I dream of my own involvement?"

Isshin sighed. He didn't claim to know everything about Dreamseers despite his son being counted among them, but he knew enough to know that a dreamseer only dreamed of their future when they were destined to be involved.

"Because it is your destiny to be involved," Isshin replied reluctantly, knowing that it was the truth.

Ichigo smiled at his father. "As long as you recognize Fate's hand in all of this," he said calmly.

Isshin shook his head with an amused yet resigned smile as his son left the kitchen and climbed the stairs to his room with a plate of food for the not-so-secret-secret-guest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rukia sighed and leaned back against the wall as Ichigo took the empty plate and cup downstairs. Cobalt eyes were contemplative as she stared out the window at the darkened sky and considered what she would do now. Her powers were gone, she had no way to contact Soul Society, and while being a few hours late could be overlooked, being missing for more than a day would mean that she would be labeled awol, and a shinigami officer would be dispatched to investigate, and once that was done, they would no doubt find out about Ichigo, who would be either executed or have his powers destroyed. She sighed and closed her eyes, wishing that she had simply killed the hollow instead of shielding Ichigo. If she had, maybe the boy wouldn't be in his current position…

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she never noticed the sigil of a Dreamseer materialize briefly above her before vanishing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo's eyes fluttered open and he sighed as he leaned forward cautiously and glanced around the corner at the street where Rukia had been confronted by her brother and his Vice Captain. Once sure that the street was empty, he sealed his shinigami powers and lay down where the illusion of himself was last, and waited. Not long after, a pair of geta appeared in front of him. Ichigo closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift into the silent water like darkness of his dream.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yamamoto-Genryuusei Shigekuni had lived a long life, and an even longer afterlife. Much of his memories of his life in the living world had been long since forgotten and much of the early days of his afterlife were well on their way to being lost also. One of the few things of his life that he had not forgotten, however, was an encounter when he had been a child with a pale haired woman who was blind, deaf, and unable to walk, but was quite obviously powerful and had the power to dream of the future, past, and present. She had died a while ago, and had moved almost immediately into the cycle of reincarnation. Despite the time since his meeting with the Dreamseer Hinoto, he never forgot the silence and living dark of the dreamscape, so when he was drawn into a dream, he was not in the least surprised to see a young man with waist length ginger hair clad in a simple green yukata with the sigil of a dreamseer on his forehead.

"This certainly is a surprise," Shigekuni said quietly.

The Dreamseer inclined his head and said softly, "Forgive me, but I had to warn you. Your people are in grave danger."

"Danger?" Shigekuni asked sharply.

"There is a shinigami due to be executed, a punishment far too heavy for her crimes," the Dreamseer said, his eyes troubled, "if you can find the true intentions behind her execution, you will find the threat. I'm afraid, however that it will be too little too late." The Dreamseer sighed, "I would have issued a warning sooner, but I was not able to do so until recently."

Shigekuni reached out and patted the Dreamseer's hand comfortingly. "I understand that there are lines that cannot be crossed," he said, "Thank you for the warning."

"There is one more thing before I go."

The aged Captain Commander nodded, "Yes?"

"The children that will come to aid the shinigami in question… Do not alienate them or hide things from them. They are the key to the continued existence of Soul Society as you know it."

Shigekuni bowed. "Duly noted."

The Dreamseer smiled and his body scattered in a storm of black feathers. "Sleep well, Sotaicho-dono. I'm sorry to say that this will be the last good sleep you will have in a while."

Shigekuni knew better than to give a snappish reply to a Dreamseer who had gone out of his way to deliver a warning. "Thank you for the warning," he said, "One last question if you please. What is your name?"

Most of the Dreamseer's body had scattered by now, but there was enough of his face for Shigekuni to see a sad smile. "I am called Ichigo," he said quietly, and then the last part of him scattered into black feathers which fell to the glossy black, water-like floor and drifted away.

Shigekuni was jerked awake when the alarms indicating an intrusion went off. He glanced out the window of his office pensively and fervently prayed that none of the children would be too severely hurt in the inevitable confrontations with is subordinates. It would be a terrible tragedy if children were killed before their time, and even more so if the key to Seireitei's well being was compromised because one of his captains got overexcited and killed one or more of the children. He sighed as he wondered if he would get the chance to speak to Ichigo again. Little did he know…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC…


	2. Judgment 1: The Howling

Scatter the Illusions of Life

Disclaimer: BLEACH and belongs to Tite Kubo and related distributers.

Summary: Dreamseers know intimately that sleep is merely a facsimile of death, and that illusions are shadows of dreams, making it ridiculously easy for them to alter the tapestry of existence in the realms of the dead. For this reason, it is forbidden for a Dreamseer to interfere in the affairs of the dead. Until a retired shinigami captain's son began to dream true dreams….

Judgment 1: The Howling

"I am a shinigami."

"Pfht. Yeah right."

"You can see ghosts, but you don't believe in shinigami?"

"I don't believe in what I cannot see."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I don't understand," Rukia's voice was frustrated. "There's nothing here!"

"That thing is malfunctioning then," Ichigo said.

"It's working fine!"

"What's this? A lover's spat?"

The two shinigami looked upward at the dark haired teen standing on the fence.

"Who are you?!" Rukia asked sharply.

"I am Ishida Uryuu. I hate shinigami."

Ichigo smiled sadly. "Is that so?"

Rukia looked between the two and said quietly, "What's going on?"

"He's a Quincy," Ichigo said softly, "ever since the shinigami came too late to save his grandfather, he's harbored a grudge against the shinigami. I suppose he feels betrayed that I have the power of a shinigami now."

"Betrayed?" Rukia asked, "Why?"

"Because he is my God Brother," Uryuu snarled.

Ichigo's eyes darkened and he looked away. "Yeah," he said softly, "We grew up together. Our fathers are each other's God Fathers."

"Oh," Rukia looked contrite. "I'm sorry I've driven a rift into your family."

"It would have happened eventually," Ichigo said quietly.

"What?!" Rukia stared at him.

"It's called growing up," Ichigo gave her a wry smile and continued, "Humans do that. We get older and our interests deviate from what they once were. As interests change, we drift apart from family, friends and siblings. Even if I had not taken your powers, Uryuu and I would have drifted apart at some point in the future, so don't blame yourself."

"Let's have a contest, Ichigo," Uryuu said, "and I'll show you why Quincy are superior to shinigami."

"Quincy and Shinigami," Ichigo said, "I do not see how different powers make either Quincy or Shinigami superior to the other. Both serve similar purposes, the only difference is the way in which both sides go about protecting humans from hollows."

Uryuu snorted. "Nonsense."

"I suppose I can't talk you out of this foolishness? No? Very well. What are the terms?"

"Ichigo!" Rukia scolded.

"Whomever kills the most Hollows wins."

Ichigo sighed. "Agreed."

And Uryuu crumbled the Hollow bait in his hand and scattered it. Ichigo drew on his powers, as Uryuu manifested his bow and shot a hollow even as it appeared behind them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

From the moment that I first saw her in my dream, I knew that interacting with her would lead to my death… I could have fought my fate, avoided her by entering my dream and never emerge, but I am a Dreamseer, and no matter what I do, I cannot change the course of my dreams. To fight what I see is to put off the inevitable, for I would still be guiding the Gotei 13. So when I finally met her, I embraced my fate whole heartedly. I only revealed my true nature to one person, the Shinigami's Captain Commander, but I never truly spoke to him outside of dreams. He honestly cared for me, despite the fact that I only ever brought him dire news, and I could not bring myself to let him know what part his people would play in my fate, for I knew that it would break his heart even as he did what he felt was right. In truth, he believes that the Dreamseer who guides him and the Substitute Shinigami his people are so fond of are two different people. He will know better when my life reaches its conclusion, but for now, it gives him peace…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Well, what do you know?" a bald shinigami said with a maniac grin, "intruders."

Ichigo frowned at the shinigami, whom he knew from his dreams to be Madarame Ikkaku, third seat of the Eleventh Division. He had no time to deal with such things, but neither could he reveal the true extent of his powers to this fool. It seemed he would have to use sheer brute force after all. He released a mental sigh as he reached back to grasp the hilt of his Zanpakuto. How troublesome. Maybe he should have stayed in his dream and guided the shinigami from a distance after all…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You're back."

Shigekuni stepped toward the ginger haired male who watched a series of battles scattered over various parts of Seireitei simultaneously with pensive brown eyes.

"I have ordered the apprehension of the Ryoka," he declared, "I cannot guarantee that my captains will not kill them, however."

"I do not expect you to control their every action," the Dreamseer said, "and children as a rule will never do as they are told."

"I have been meaning to ask," Shigekuni said, "Why are you here?"

"To guide the Final Battle."

"The battle was concluded six months ago with the Seals as the victors."

"That is true, yes," the Dreamseer agreed, "But what of the new world order that comes after the Judgement Day? Will the world change for better or for worse? The Seals and the Angels decided the fate of Humans in the Living World. Hollow, or I should say Arrancar, and Shinigami will decide the nature of the change in nature. What will result: A change for the better that is forced and only temporary or a change for the better that came naturally and lasts forever?"

"And what have you seen?"

"A world of sand and a world of water."

"Your pardon?"

"Thus far, all I can see are the two possible futures represented by the Seven Angels and the Seven Seals. I can only imagine that it is a representation of the future that will be brought on by both respective world orders."

"Neither futures sound very palatable, if you'll forgive me for saying so."

"A world of water is better than a world of sand," the Dreamseer said with a smile, "For with the proper innovations, life can continue. In a world of sand, not even the most ingenious of innovations can sustain life indefinitely."

"So the Shinigami represent a world of water?"

"If I interpret my dreams correctly, yes."

"And the children?"

The Dreamseer shrugged. "That is up to your Captains and the restraint that they practice. Sadly, the most crucial part of the Key will find his way blocked by your less restrained Captains. Kuchiki Taicho nearly killed him in their first encounter, and I believe Zaraki Taicho will come close to killing him twice in the same fight."

"But he will survive?"

"If he practices caution and restraint, yes."

"That is a relief."

"Sleep well, Yamamoto-san," the Dreamseer said as his body began to scatter in a storm of black feathers. "I will arrange for you to have sweet dreams…"

"Thank you, Ichigo-san."

Ichigo smiled sadly as the remnants of his body vanished in a flurry of feathers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo sighed as he arrived at the base of the Soukyouku Hill, only to be accosted by an irate red haired Vice-Captain. His Zanpakuto reflected his abilities, and the last thing he wanted was to fight the man. A person's mind was the reflection of a soul, and any Dreamseer who knew how to draw a person's mind into a dream could trap them, and a Dreamseer who could trap a mind in a dream is just as capable of destroying it. With Ichigo's powers and Renji being an ectoplasmic existence, the full force of his Zanpakuto's Shikai could completely destroy the red head's mind, thus undoing whatever ectoplasmic bonds gave Renji's soul a recognizable form.

"If she had never met you," the red head was yelling, "Rukia would not be in this position in the first place!"

Ichigo sighed again. The elder red head made a valid point, not that Renji realized it. Ichigo could have just as easily assisted the Gotei 13 if he had simply locked himself in a state of perpetual sleep and guided the Gotei 13 by means of dreams. Ichigo gently fingered the hilt of his sealed Zanpakuto as Renji ripped his own Zanpakuto out of its sheath and wished fervently that his conscience had allowed him to guide the shinigami from a distance.

Then Renji was rushing him and the blade flashed toward him. Ichigo took a deep breath, locked his eyes on his opponent and leaned to the side, allowing the blade to pass harmlessly by. The redheaded Vice-Captain growled and Ichigo tilted his head to the right and bent his knees slightly, allowing the thrust to pass him harmlessly.

Half an hour later, Renji was practically foaming at the mouth with frustration. "Damn it!" Renji roared, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Or have you not learned your sword's name yet?"

Ichigo studied his opponent for a moment and said quietly, "If you can make my knee touch the ground, I will use my blade."

Renji gaped and then growled in anger and humiliation. Just because the teen had learned some control... "You think that just because you beat me in the living world means you know the full extent of my strength?" Renji barked, "Let me tell you something—"

"When a Captain or Vice-Captain goes to the Living World, eighty percent of their power is sealed so you were only fighting at one fifth of your full strength," Ichigo gave the Vice-Captain a wry smile, "I know. I'm human, not stupid."

"I've had about enough of your attitude," Renji growled. "You asked for it! Hoeru, Zabimaru!"

As the katana morphed into an extendable serrated blade, Ichigo drew on his powers, not enough to manifest his sigil and give away his true nature to the hotheaded Vice-Captain, but enough to flush his veins with power to enhance his reflexes and to accurately predict where the blade was going to strike to avoid injury. With a frustration fueled roar, Renji sent Zabimaru through the air toward his opponent. Ichigo's face was impassive as he watched the serrated blade fly toward his face. Renji's eyes widened as Zabimaru passed the ginger haired teen's face without touching him. His eyes narrowed as he jerked on the hilt of his sword, and Zabimaru sliced through the air once again…

And so it continued. On the sidelines, Ganju and Hanataro watched the battle, entranced by the teen's seemingly effortless superiority over the Vice-Captain.

"That guy," Ganju said in shock, "there isn't a single scratch on him and he hasn't even drawn his sword!"

Hanataro said in an awed whisper, "He's incredible…. By the time Abarai-Fuku-Taicho attacks; Kurosaki-san has already dodged… It's as if Kurosaki-san knows what Abarai-Fuku-Taicho is about to do before he even does it!"

Renji was getting frustrated by the human's seeming omniscience. He'd attacked again and again, and the teen never got hit. He'd always moved so smoothly out of Zabimaru's path that it seemed as if Renji had missed. Red eyes widened as he realized that the pattern of movements the teen was using never moved more than three steps away from his starting point. The teen was playing with him, never moving more than he had to, moving in and out of range so quickly that it was Renji who was taking damage, and any collateral damage was not caused by the teen, but by Renji himself. He wasn't fighting Kurosaki Ichigo, he was fighting his Captain. The teen was training him to eventually challenge his Captain in battle.

Renji saw red. Was he really so pathetic that this child felt that he had to teach someone at least four times his age to fight a speed oriented opponent? At that moment, Renji couldn't be sure who he hated more, his captain, or the teenager in front of him. He swung his blade with every intention of cutting the teen into ribbons, and Zabimaru, fueled by his anger and hatred, screamed toward the teenager.

Ichigo's eyes widened, and Renji felt nothing but satisfaction as the teen took to the air to evade his blade. He swung his blade, and Zabimaru changed trajectory, coming toward the teen from the side, and Ichigo was forced to move again to evade the serrated blade. The third time Zabimaru screamed toward Ichigo, Renji fired off a Kido, and the teen dropped swiftly to evade both attacks, including the one in which Zabimaru retracted fully and tore through Ichigo's sleeve and sliced off a few strands of blue cord from the tassels that swung from the pommel of the teen's sword. The teen hit the ground in a crouch, his back to Renji, and as the teen straightened, the Vice-Captain saw something that made vindictive glee flush through his veins.

"You touched the ground with your knee," Renji pointed out, smirking. "Now you have to use your sword."

Ichigo turned his head slightly to look at Renji out the corner of his eyes. "So I do," the teen said. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and drew it from its sheath as he turned to face Renji, "But it is over." He lifted the sword and gathered his reiryouku.

Renji, sensing the energy rising, decided that he was not going to give the teen a chance to release his blade. He swung Zabimaru, and felt nothing less than satisfaction when the teen was forced to forgo releasing his blade in place of keeping his zanpakuto from impacting his face from the force of Zabimaru's swing. Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"Scatter the illusions of life," he intoned.

Renji's eyes widened as the teen's blade glowed. Quickly, he pulled Zabimaru back in preparation for the attack that the teen was sure to launch.

"Kyoka Zangetsu."

The glow faded and Renji blinked when he realized that the other zanpakuto had no changed at all. Then he remembered that there were Zanpakuto that did not change form, but were still very powerful, and he tensed in anticipation of retaliation. But the teen did not move.

"You're not going to attack?"

"I already have."

Renji's eyes widened when he realized that the teen's voice was coming from behind him. He turned, and then the teen's blade slammed into his foot, pinning him to his spot, and the tassels lengthened and wrapped around him, binding his arms and legs, preventing any movement. Renji stared at the impassive face of the teen as Ichigo calmly reached over, pressed an index finger lightly into his shoulder.

The teen intoned levelly, "Hado no yonban: Byakurai."

Renji howled in pain as the bolt of energy flew from the teen's fingertip and burned through his shoulder. Ichigo tightened his grip on the hilt of Kyoka Zangetsu, and the tassels fell away from Renji's body even as he yanked the blade out of Renji's flesh and stepped back.

"Why?" Renji whispered as he fell to his knees, "Why are you so like him? How can I defeat him if I can't defeat you?"

"You have no idea what power you are dealing with," Ichigo said softly. "I am nothing like your Captain."

"You fight like him."

"Do I?" Ichigo asked, "Or is that simply what you want to be true?"

Renji stared at the teen in surprise. Ichigo sighed. . "Think on it," the teen said as he held up a hand. Renji barely had time to blink before a sleeping Kido hit him in the face.

"That was incredible, Kurosaki-san!" Hanataro cried as Ichigo made his way back toward them.

Ichigo shrugged. "He was angry. His anger made him weak."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shigekuni frowned as he found himself in a clear globe with translucent images of the continents that rotated slowly as it drifted through the air toward the Sixth Division's Vice-Captain's quarters.

He glanced to his side where another clear globe turned slowly with the Dreamseer kneeling in its center and asked, "Why are we here, Ichigo-kun?"

"To show you the face of two lesser keys," the ginger haired Dreamseer said gently. "Abarai Renji, though he doesn't realize it, will be invaluable in the events to come." He paused and added, "Rash and quick to anger… But he is a good boy…"

Shigekuni shook his head. "I can never comprehend how Dreamseers can call someone much older than themselves children…."

Ichigo smiled and said gently, "Because a Dreamseer sees things that few do. Not even a shinigami can comprehend the realm over which we hold sway, and there is still so much to be learned…"

Shigekuni chuckled. "Living or dead, we never stop learning."

"Put him in the holding cell."

"And that one," Ichigo said quietly, "as he is, Kuchiki-Taicho can be either the ultimate friend or the ultimate enemy. I only hope he will take to heart an important lesson…"

Shigekuni stared as the Sixth Division Captain said coldly, "I have no need for a Vice-Captain who cannot obey the rules."

"And what lesson is that?"

"He already knows a part: If those in power do not obey the rules, then who can be trusted to obey?" Ichigo said, "However, he must also learn: If those who enforce the rules do not fight unjust laws, then who has the skill and understanding of the laws to fight?"

Shigekuni sighed. "When you say he can be either the ultimate enemy or the ultimate friend, what do you mean?"

Ichigo studied him and said quietly, "The child he faces on Soukyouku Hill… He is not and may never be very fond of the child… If Kuchiki-Taicho kills him in a fit of rage at any time between now and the Final Judgment, then your cause is lost. If he keeps his temper and does his very best to ensure the child's well being, then you may well have a victory." Ichigo paused and said sadly, "Kuchiki-Taicho, however, must do all of that without realizing that his actions are being guided and he must do so of his own free will."

"Kuchiki-Taicho is not exactly the type to restrain himself from killing those he dislikes."

"Then pray," Ichigo's voice was steely as the dreamscape cracked, "that he practices some restraint where that child is concerned."

Shigekuni did not get the chance to speak when the dreamscape shattered, and he jerked awake, knocking a cup of tea off his desk, spilling green liquid over the tatami floors as the ceramic shattered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC…


	3. Judgment 2: The Cross

Scatter the Illusions of Life

Disclaimer: BLEACH and belongs to Tite Kubo and related distributers.

Summary: Dreamseers know intimately that sleep is merely a facsimile of death, and that illusions are shadows of dreams, making it ridiculously easy for them to alter the tapestry of existence in the realms of the dead. For this reason, it is forbidden for a Dreamseer to interfere in the affairs of the dead. Until a retired shinigami captain's son began to dream true dreams….

A/N: I think I should make this clear. There will be references to works by Clamp, but this is not a crossover. This is more of a mixing of concepts.

Judgment 2: The Cross

"We do not obey the rules, then who can be trusted to obey?"

"I think, if I were in your position, I would still fight the rules…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Very few people know what the true nature of a Dreamseer is. Those who do know of Dreamsers see us as little more than fortunetellers. We, however, are more than simple fortune tellers. We are those who weave together possibilities and with the few openings given to us, guide the world to the best possible future. Sometimes however, that interference has disastrous results, as the story of Hinoto and her sister Kanoe can attest to. Were it not for Kamui of the Dragons of Heaven's invoking of his Magami heritage, mankind would now only be so much dust due to a single Dreamseer's one selfish wish and her sister's unselfish wish to see her sister's one selfish desire to reality. Many Dreamseers died to lend power to Kamui so as to forestall the coming of the End. Sadly, after that sacrifice, there are now too few Dreamseers to influence all the Dreams of humankind, and what can be done may well be too little too late.…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shigekuni shivered as he stared at his broken cup. He had known that he had said the wrong thing when the Dreamseer's eyes turned dark and icy. The door opened and Shigekuni stood up as his Vice-Captain entered the office.

"I think I will step out for a moment," Shigekuni said as he walked past his Lieutenant, "Do clean up the mess for me, Sasakabe-Fuku-Taicho."

Sasakaba Choujiro bowed wordlessly and stepped out to collect a broom and dustpan as well as some rags to clean up the tea before it soaked into the tatami.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Zaraki Kenpachi loved battle. He lived for it, so when he had the chance, he decided to speak with Ikkaku to find out more about the intruder his Third Seat had fought. That there was the chance for him to knock that freak Kurotsuchi off his high horse was only an added bonus. Kenpachi snorted mentally as the mad Twelfth Division Captain left the room. Madman was a lot more stupid than he looked if he though Kenpachi was going to let him do whatever he wanted to Kenpachi's subordinates.

"Well?" the large man said, "Is he strong?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo? Strong?" Ikkaku gave his Captain a pained smile. "Yeah."

Kenpachi laughed. "Good."

"Ken-chan has a playdate!" Yachiru cheered from her position on Kenpachi's shoulder.

Kanpachi grinned. He was looking forward to killing this Ichigo person. Now all he needed to do was find him.

Had any of the three occupants of the room glanced at the ceiling, they would have seen a sigil of an eye flanked by two crescent moons with three wavy lines, two horizontal, spread like wings, and the last vertical, swaying like a long tail appear briefly and disappear.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"…All our lives/We've been waiting/For someone to call our leader," Ichigo sang softly as he led Ganju and Hanataro up the stairs.

"Will you quit that singing, asshole?!" Ganju screamed, "You're pissing me off!"

Ichigo smiled, "All your lies/Not believing/Heaven shine a light down on me," he warbled, deliberately singing badly as he stepped out into the courtyard on top of which was a dark figure who unleashed a terrible presence onto them, driving Hanataro to his knees and stealing the breath from Ganju's lungs. "Well then," the teen said calmly, wholly unaffected by the pressure of the reiatsu bearing down on them, "Who do we have here?"

"Dammit!" Ganju forced through gritted teeth, "Why aren't you affected?!"

Ichigo gave Ganju a warm smile. "Why don't you take Hanataro up to the Tower of Penitence while I deal with things here? And while you're at it, perhaps you can learn to forgive a terrible accident. Forgiveness is the greatest power anyone can have, you know."

Ganju gave the teenager a nasty look. He knew he was being dismissed, and while he was used to getting it from his sister, he resented getting it from a teenager. Unfortunately, he knew that neither he nor Hanataro had a place on this particular battlefield. The Shiba scooped up the Fourth Division Seventh Seat and ran, swearing that the first chance he had, he was going to beat the arrogant child's head in. Just to teach him who was boss.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yoruichi sighed as she tended to the Ichigo's injuries, which were admittedly minor. Mostly, the teen was suffering from exhaustion. She had watched the teen's battles, and the fight with Kenpachi had shown her that no matter that the teen's Getsuuga Tensho gave him a slight edge that was tripled by his zanpakuto's ability to create illusions he needed more strength to fight Captains such as Kuchiki Byakuya. Ichigo needed the power that only a Bankai could give.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Renji grinned as he broke through the ceiling of a massive dome that covered an underground training ground and found the person he was looking for.

"Yo, Kurosaki Ichigo. I've found you."

A bland, "About time, Abarai," and a, "You're late," had not been the reaction that Renji was looking for from the teenager.

"You knew I was coming?!"

"Are you kidding?" a dark skinned, purple haired woman with eyes like a cat's said, "We sensed you coming from a mile away!"

Renji gave the Ichigo a shocked look and the teen smirked at him. The red head had the distinct feeling that Ichigo was mocking him as he did as he was told.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kuchiki Byakuya turned as he felt his Vice-Captain's reiatsu shift and watched calmly as Renji charged at him with his sealed Zanpakuto. A single swift movement was all it took to slice the Zanpakuto, weakened by its wielder's exhaustion, in half. The broken hilts hard was pressed almost painfully into the noble's shoulder, and then the remains of the blade cracked, and shattered. The last of Renji's strength fled, and he collapsed.

Byakuya closed his eyes and reached up, his hand closing around the white fabric of his scarf. "Very well done, Renji," he said as he pulled the fabric from his neck and tossed it into the air over his Vice-Captain's body, watching dispassionately as the scarf drifted down and covered Renji's head.

Calmly, he walked away. If he had stayed facing Renji for a moment longer, he would have seen the sigil of an eye flanked by two crescent moons with three wavy lines, two horizontal, spread like wings, and the last vertical, swaying like a long tail appear briefly and disappear. Had he seen the sigil, questions would have been raised that perhaps could have kept things from stretching for as long as they would. As it was, Byakuya never noticed the sigil, and so even as paths closed and new ones opened the gears of Fate ground on, and the future continued on the previously ordained path.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Open your eyes."

Shigekuni opened his eyes to find himself standing at the execution site. The area was pitted with craters and long gashes dug into the ground. There were blood splatters everywhere. The Soukyouku was missing, and the scaffold where Kuchiki Rukia was to be crucified was broken.

"It's almost time."

The Captain turned, wondering where the Dreamseer was.

"It seems you will have to rely on these children to discover your traitors then…"

The still form of Abarai Renji facedown on the ground surrounded by a pool of his own blood with Rukia kneeling beside him, her face a mask of terror appeared. New blood spatters appeared on the ground, and Shigekuni's eyes widened as the form of a spiky orange haired teen who wore a familiar face hit the ground, blood pooling around him. Then the picture faded altogether.

"Let the Beginning of the End begin…"

Shigekuni jerked upright in his chair, panting as if he had just shunpoed for three days straight. There was a knock on the door.

"What?" the aged Captain barked.

His Vice-Captain stepped warily inside and said softly, "The execution is due to begin in an hour sir. We should begin the preparations."

Shigekuni felt his heart leap into his throat. The execution would be stopped, he knew that much. But that child who looked so much like the Dreamseer Ichigo… Was he going to die today? He was the key after all, right? And the three traitors…

His face did not give away his inner turmoil as the aged Captain-Commander got up and grabbed his staff. "Let us go then," he said gruffly, and left the room, Choujiro following him obediently.

Had either of them looked back into the office, they would have seen a sigil of an eye flanked by two crescent moons with three wavy lines, two horizontal, spread like wings, and the last vertical, swaying like a long tail appear briefly and disappear. If Shigekuni had seen the sigil, he would have remembered that he had last seen it on the forehead of a Dreamseer, and perhaps he would have taken some comfort from knowing that Ichigo was still watching them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo groaned as he sank into the healing spring, savoring the feeling of his muscles loosening in the hot water. He knew he didn't have enough time to enjoy the water as lingering would mean one less minute for him to reach Rukia in time. His vision of tossing Rukia off the ruins of the crucifixion scaffold to Renji would last only as long as he did not waste time.

Once he felt that his muscles were suitably relaxed without being reduced to jelly, Ichigo levered himself out of the water and allowed Yoruichi to bandage the injuries that had not been completely healed by his soak while swallowing some food. That done, he pulled on his clothes and the cape, placed Kyoka Zangetsu in his obi, and shunpoed out of the hidden training ground.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo slowly released his breath as he felt the pressure of the Soukyouku on the flat of his blade. He was ridiculously fortunate that his ploy had worked. If he had miscalculated by a split second, it would have been him that was vaporized, immediately followed by Rukia. The pressure lifted, and Ichigo allowed himself to release a heavy sigh of relief before he tightened his grip on his Zanpakuto's hilt, not daring to move it from his back until he was sure the threat was neutralized. Then as the heat of the Soukyouku intensified, there was a hiss of heavy cables cutting through the air, and the second the Soukyouku's advance was halted, there was a roar of energy.

Ichigo spun around and stared as the massive firebird disintegrated in flame, embers, and spirit particles. And then he felt it. Time seemed to slow and the air fluctuated, twisted and rippled before his very eyes, and he felt in the very core of his person as the gears of Fate shuddered to a halt, and then rumbled slowly to life. The destruction of the Soukyouku was fairly minor in the grand scheme of things, but it was the pebble that started the avalanche. The very course of Destiny had suddenly and irrevocably changed.

Ichigo closed his eyes in resignation. There was no hope for it. The future had changed, which meant that he would need to study his visions anew. However, that would have to wait. He needed to get Rukia down, and Aizen had to be revealed even at the cost of the Hougyouku. By the end of the day, he would have all the time he needed to perform damage control.

Ichigo flipped in the air, leaping over Rukia to stand on the scaffold and he switched his grip on Kyouka Zangetsu; blade down edge in. "Let's get you off this thing," he said to Rukia and gathered his reiryoku to the tip of his Zanpakuto and stabbed downwards, releasing the energy the moment honed steel sank into age weathered wood.

The scaffold shattered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC…


	4. Judgment 3: The Hyper Battle

**Scatter the Illusions of Life**

Disclaimer: BLEACH and belongs to Tite Kubo and related distributers.

Summary: Dreamseers know intimately that sleep is merely a facsimile of death, and that illusions are shadows of dreams, making it ridiculously easy for them to alter the tapestry of existence in the realms of the dead. For this reason, it is forbidden for a Dreamseer to interfere in the affairs of the dead. Until a retired shinigami captain's son began to dream true dreams….

**A/N:** I think I should make this clear. There will be references to works by Clamp, but this is _not_ a crossover. This is more of a mixing of concepts.

Judgment 3: The Hyper Battle

"_Th-that's… Gotei 13 Third Division Captain… Ichimaru Gin!"_

"_Ara, what's going on here? Naughty, Naughty. Gatekeepers aren't supposed to open the gate for intruders."_

"_I lost, therefore it is only right to let them through."_

"_Naw, when a Gatekeeper looses, they die."_

"_Guh-Gaaaagggghhhhhhhh!"_

"_Jidanbou-san!"_

"_Baibai now. Ikorose, Shinso."_

"_Shit!"_

"_Are you okay, Jidanbou-san? Hang on, I'll fix you right up! Ayame, Shun-o! I reject!"_

**Never in my wildest Dreams had I anticipated this! The destruction of the Soukyouku had been inevitable. How can following a path that does not deviate suddenly change an entire future? Will Renji make it in time? Will he and Rukia still encounter Tousen and then be brought to the peak of Soukyouku Hill? Will the battle I engage with Kuchiki Byakuya still be the same? I cannot be sure anymore. I had forgotten that even an inevitable event can change the future if a small change occurred as the even takes place. I need to know what caused this. I need time to think and plan… The future has changed, new plans must be made. I cannot falter here, for if the shinigami were to fall, all is lost. But right now, I stand on the scaffold and I must concentrate on the here and now. There will be plenty of time to think later…**

The last thing Rukia had ever expected was to be saved. She couldn't fathom how or why she had been saved. All she knew was one second she was on the verge of being vaporized, the next, she is tucked under Ichigo's arm as if she were a puppy or his school bag. He stands on the remnants of the scaffold, looking down toward the Captains and Vice-Captains gathered below, and Rukia looks up and sees his eyebrows furrow and dark eyes shine with concern.

"He's late," he mutters, and Rukia looks out at the edge of the forest where a little speck is gaining definition as the distance is closed. The dark haired shinigami recognizes her childhood friend as Renji skidded to a halt in front of the scaffolding.

"Late again, Abarai!" Ichigo barked, "Now catch!"

"Don't you dare, Ichi-AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH~!" Rukia cried as Ichigo tossed her off the scaffolding as if she were a sack of potatoes.

"Take her away from here, Abarai!" Ichigo barked, "and hurry!"

Rukia is forced to suppress a smile at the annoyed grunt from the redhead as he does as the teenager says and hightails it away from the execution site. Rukia catches as glimpse of the Sotaicho's face as they leave, and was confused by the relief etched into his aged features, as well as the sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

Ichigo watched for a brief moment as the Sotaicho gave his Vice-Captain permission to release his zanpakuto, followed by the Vice-Captains of the Second and Fourth Divisions. He nodded curtly in approval—at least something was still going according to plan—and sheathed his zanpakuto as he leapt off the scaffold, reappearing between the three Vice-Captains and the fleeing Renji. Ichigo lifted his leg, curled it toward him and lashed out; kicking the First Division Vice-Captain in the stomach, sending him onto his back, then planted his feet, whirled, and his fist crushed through the Second Division Vice-Captain's oversized spiked ball and chain, and connected with his stomach, sending the overweight shinigami to the floor. He spun round, and taking advantage of the female Vice-Captain's shock, delivered an open palmed strike to her stomach, knocking her unconscious.

The sound of a sword being drawn and an approaching intent to kill attracted his attention. The teenager peripherally registered the departure of two Captains and a Vice-Captain away from the execution ground in the direction of the cliff, a figure dragging a Captain off the Cliffside, and two Captains and a Vice-Captain with the Sotaicho in pursuit. Ichigo ripped his zanpakuto out of its sheath in time to block Kuchiki Byakuya's downward strike and his eyebrows drew together as he frowned, concentrating on pushing back against the noble's blade. He was familiar with this conflict, he'd witnessed it many times in his dream, but dreams gave no indication of the difficultly of the struggle the two would be caught in.

But now wasn't the time to consider such things was it? He had a battle to fight.

Shigekuni had not been sure what to expect when the teenager appeared to stop the Soukyouku with nothing more than the flat of his blade. The destruction of the massive halberd was not unexpected, though Shigekuni mourned its loss, and the teen's unorthodox way of releasing Kuchiki Rukia into Abarai Renji's custody had been amusing if one overlooked the height from which the girl had been thrown. But there was no time to play around. He gave the order to his Vice Captain to retrieve the fleeing shinigami, and then departed after his own wayward students. They all had their own parts to play, and as Shigekuni flash stepped across Seireitei in pursuit of Ukitake Jyuushiro and Kyoraku Shunsui, he could only wonder what the future had in store for them.

Hitsugaya Toushiro was not hailed as a prodigy for no apparent reason. He had seen the discord that Kuchiki Rukia's execution was causing in the ranks of the shinigami, but the clincher was the moment just before and after the destruction of the Soukyouku. He didn't know if anyone had noticed it, but it had not passed his notice that just before the halberd was blocked, the unmistakable sigil of a Dreamseer had briefly flared on the teenaged invader's forehead, and just after the halberd had been destroyed the sigil had flared once again, accompanied by a look of fear and surprise, perhaps due to an unexpected event that was not a part of his vision. The simple fact that a Dreamseer was involved had set off alarm bells in his head, and the fact that the Dreamseer seemed adamant that Kuchiki Rukia not be executed was the clincher in his decision. Come hell or high water, he was going to make sure that the Chamber 46 rescinded the execution order, even if he had to bully them all into it himself. After all, Dreamseers do not involve themselves lightly into any event, much less meddle in the affairs of the dead.

That and he did not doubt that if Kuchiki Byakuya pushed the Dreamseer too far, the teenager would utterly obliterate the Sixth Division Captain. After all, the Dreamseer already seemed displeased with Kuchiki's attitude toward his sister.

Ichigo shifted his weight slightly to allow Senbonzakura to pass his face harmlessly and flicked his blade upward toward Byakuya's throat and wondered what it would take to push Kuchiki Byakuya into releasing his Bankai. He knew in a different world where he had no idea of what was to come; he would goad the man into releasing his bankai, and would nearly die as a result, but he didn't know what it would take here in this world where he knew what was to come. It wasn't going to be as easy as showing off his speed, because truthfully, he was a dreamseer, not a hotheaded child with only sheer brawn going for him. It was going to take a lot more practice for his shunpo to match and exceed Kuchiki Byakuya's capability. And his zanpakuto, however useful in specific circumstances, was about as yielding as the unspoken laws that ruled a Dreamseer's life. Kyoka Zangetsu was a Dreamseer's Soul Blade, and his power reflected it.

Byakuya batted Kyoka Zangetsu aside and leapt backwards, holding up Senbonzakura before his face and intoned calmly, "Chire, Senbonzakura."

Ichigo briefly considered the use of theatrics when releasing his zanpakuto as the Dark haired Captain's blade scattered into thousands of razor sharp cherry blossom petals, and immediately discarded the idea as a thin cut appeared on his cheek and small rips began to form in his clothes. Showing off could wait. The important thing was not dying from the equivalent of a thousand paper cuts.

"I will show you what happens when you attempt to cut a noble's pride boy," Byakuya said coldly, "Die."

A wave of shimmering petal like blades swept around and past the Sixth Division Captain, bearing down on the dark eyed teenager. Ichigo lifted his zanpakuto, mirroring the stance Byakuya had taken mere moments before, and before the noble's cool slate eyes, the blade began to glow.

"Scatter the illusions of life," Ichigo said calmly, "Kyoka Zangetsu."

The blade seemed to dissolve, and Byakuya watched dispassionately as Senbonzakura, not even slowed by the teen's dissolved zanpakuto, slammed into the teen, creating a small crater and tearing long gouges into the ground.

"What?" the noble could not help but murmur in confusion as his Senbonzakura left the crater, swirling protectively around him, revealing the teenager still standing and unharmed, the empty hilt of his Zanpakuto still in his hand.

Then he sensed the presence behind him, and Senbonzakura surged around him, forming a protective wall that blocked the black crescent of energy that had been fired at his back. Then his eyes widened as the child in front of him dissolved into a flurry of shimmering black feathers that flashed toward him. Byakuya commanded Senbonzakura quickly to form a defensive wall between himself and the feathers in case they were actually blades. Not that it helped since the feathers flew through the defensive barrier formed by Senbonzakura and drifted harmlessly past Byakuya, who turned and was shocked to see the feathers gather in the teen's hand and reform his Zanpakuto.

"An illusion?" he wondered out loud.

"Rukia is your sister," Ichigo said softly, "and as her older brother, isn't it your duty as her family to protect her as necessary? I owe her a life debt, that much is true, but it should fall to her brother, not a human, to save her from an unjust law."

"…"

Ichigo shrugged, "But it seems you will not listen…" he murmured as his form was swallowed by Senbonzakura.

Byakuya felt a twinge of satisfaction before Senbonzakura's urgent whisper reached him, and the shifting sphere of blades exploded outwards, revealing the teen who was untouched but for a few shallow scratches here and there. Byakuya raised an eyebrow and Senbonzakura descended toward the teen again.

'_**This is getting old.'**_ Kyoka Zangetsu whispered in Ichigo's mind.

'_I concur,'_ Ichigo agreed, _'However, you know my concern.'_

'_**There is a vast gap between a Vice-Captain and a Captain. I doubt you can harm him as effectively as his Vice-Captain.'**_

'_Then let's kick things up a notch….'_

'_**As you wish, Ichigo. First Level…'**_

"First Stage…" Ichigo whispered, spinning the hilt of Kyoka Zangetsu in his hand, switching the blade to his left hand, shifting his feet and bending his knees, the blue tassels flowing through the air as the blade was held parallel to the ground, sharp edge up, the fingertips of his free right hand only just barely resting on the living steel of his soul's blade.

Byakuya frowned. 'Gatotsu?'

"Higuma Otoshi," Ichigo whispered, and he took a step forward and thrust his blade forward. The stream of delicate, petal-like blades in front of him was seemingly cut by the tip of the blade, and separated into three streams flowing around and past the teen harmlessly.

The noble's eyes narrowed in thought as Senbonzakura gathered around him and he sent out the petal-like blades again, only this time, the blades attacked from multiple directions. Byakuya watched as the teen moved again, this time shifting his stance and his grip on his blade to a more traditional guard position. The teen twitched and the three streams of Senbonzakura's blades scattered before they even made contact. The dark haired noble made a quiet sound in the back of his throat as he considered what he had seen.

"I see," he said finally. "You compressed your reiryoku and channeled it into the tip of your blade, making your stationary Gatotsu capable of defending against the attack of a ranged opponent."

'_**He certainly lives up to his reputation.'**_

'_Against any other ranged specialist, I would say get close to break through their guard, but even if I were to get close, Senbonzakura is versatile as both a melee and ranged weapon. His skill in Kido is among the best, and no doubt he is also skilled in grappling. In a purely physical conflict, we have no chance, even if we strike under cover of illusion.'_

'_**Then you must strike at his mind.'**_

'_Easier said than done.'_

'_**You managed it in a world where you do not possess the powers of a Dreamseer.'**_

Ichigo sighed. _'True. Lend me your powers, Zangetsu.'_

'_**I am here. Call my name.'**_

"Reflect the illusions of life, Kyoka Zangetsu."

Byakuya frowned as the world around him turned dark, and the teen's blade grew a little longer, and the tassels became a little thinner. 'His release phrase changed also,' the noble thought.

"Second Stage: Tsubame Gaeshi."

Byakuya did not flinch as thin, shallow cuts appeared on his face, on his hands, and slight rips appeared in his clothes. The teen vanished, and Senbonzakura reconfigured herself in Byakuya's hand, and the noble lifted his arm and blocked Ichigo's slash. Then the tassels moved, and Byakuya shunpoed away from the teen as the tassels sliced into his previous location, sinking into the ground as easily as a hot knife through butter. The teen followed him, and Byakuya slashed, and the teen lifted his blade, blocked the attack, and retaliated with his tassels curling into a razor sharp point aimed at Byakuya's throat. Byakuya dodged and moved to put distance between himself and his young opponent.

They stood there for a moment, sizing each other up, and then, a single drop of perspiration slipped down Ichigo's face and fell, hanging for a brief moment, a shimmering jewel in the air, before splashing to the ground.

And a battle of speed began as two indomitable wills clashed.

Shigekuni shifted his attention from his former students and looked at the Soukyouku Hill where an explosion of energy had originated. 'They're both fighting hard… If the child pushes too hard, Kuchiki-taicho's patience may snap and he may die…' He turned his attention back toward his students. 'Are you watching us, Ichigo? What will come from this murderous coil?'

Byakuya pushed the pain of his injuries aside as he struggled to fill his lungs with air, glaring murderously at the teenager in front of him all the while. Senbonzakura's whispers had been growing more and more urgent as time past, but it seemed as if he was hearing her from a great distance with something muffling her words. The teen looked unruffled, though Ichigo was also suffering from shallow cuts all over his body, and a good portion of the teen's clothes were badly shredded. The only indication of exhaustion Byakuya could see was the teen's slightly sluggish movements, and the quick rise and fall of his chest, and his dilated pupils.

Byakuya swallowed hard as the memory of his old friend during their training sessions overlaid the image of the teenager. It was a pity, Byakuya thought, that the child had to die. He would, however, give the child the gift of an honorable death, a warrior's death. He turned his wrist, holding Senbonzakura before him, her tip pointing to the ground, and let go.

"Stand there and be glad that you will be destroyed by my Bankai," Byakuya said as Senbonzakura sank into the floor with a slight ripple and two rows of massive blades rose out of the ground around the two. The shock in the teen's eyes sent a slight twinge of regret through Byakuya, who shook it aside. He did not like killing children, but in this case, he had no choice. "Chire, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

"Shit," Ichigo said aloud as the massive blades dissolved and uncountable numbers of tiny blades shaped like cherry blossom petals spilled down toward him and he vanished into the mass of blades.

The darkness around them cracked, light spilling through the cracks, and exploded inward like glass. Byakuya threw up his arm, shielding his eyes from the sudden light, and froze as cold steel touched his neck.

"I'm honored," the teen's voice was smooth and warm, "But I'm not here to die. Thank you for the sentiment, however."

Byakuya glanced out the corner of his eye and blinked to realize that Ichigo was still in the same near pristine condition that he had first appeared on the Execution Grounds in. Senbonzakura had fallen silent in the back of his mind.

"Untouched? How?" Byakuya had not even realized that he had spoken until he heard his own voice.

Sharp, wine colored eyes softened slightly and Ichigo said, "Why are you fighting so hard to kill Rukia? She is your sister."

"You know nothing of the nobility boy."

The pink blades of Senbonzakura swept toward them, and Ichigo leapt away even as Senbonzakura seemed to vanish. The world around them darkened, and row upon row of glowing pink swords seemed to appear in a massive circle around them.

"This is Senbonzakura when she has abandoned all defense and dedicated herself solely to destroying the enemy," Byakuya said calmly. "Do not be afraid. The funeral procession of a thousand blades will not attack all at once. This is Annihilationscape, which appears only to those whom I have sworn to kill with my own hand…"

Ichigo sighed. "I had not wanted to resort to this…" He planted his feet carefully and lifted his zanpakuto into the traditional guard position. "Bankai."

There was an explosion of reiatsu and a pillar of spiritual energy shot high into the air before dissipating. The dust kicked up by the swirling energy was blasted away, revealing Ichigo clad in white robes with a string of oversized white prayer beads, over which was a formal apron with wide sleeves, the formal robes of a human Omnyouji, a spiritualist. His sword did not change, and the black under robe served only to highlight the black pentacle on the back of his clothes. His eyes were closed, and the blade was held lightly at his side, the blade parallel to the ground.

His eyes opened to reveal sharp, wine colored eyes. "Third Stage: Hakugei."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed and one of the thousand floating blades flew into his hand. Then the world exploded.

Soi Fong glared at the woman she had once idolized. How she despised those calm eyes and the ease with which she stood. How dare she return after leaving without a word and act like nothing had happened?

Yoruichi, in turn, studied her successor with calm brown eyes. Soi Fong had been badly affected by her departure, she knew, but the girl was strong. She would get through this. All she needed was to distract Soi Fong from returning to the execution grounds, and hopefully, the rest of the turmoil in Seireitei would keep the other shinigami officers occupied so Ichigo could avoid taking a sword to the back by a misguidedly helpful shinigami. She felt the swell of power in the distance that signified a bankai being released, and fervently, the dark skinned woman prayed for her pupil's survival against the noble whose skill in shunpo had been taught by her. She solemnly promised herself that when all of this was over, if Ichigo survived, she would help him refine his shunpo so the next time he decides to piss off a high ranking shinigami, he would have at least a chance to either get away or cut them down with minimal harm to himself.

Then Soi Fong attacked, and the only thing she could think of was 'Damn, I've gotten soft over the years…'

Ichigo frowned as he watched the receding back of one Kuchiki Byakuya, and then he blinked, and the man was gone.

"_This battle is over. Kurosaki Ichigo, this is your victory. I will not kill Rukia."_

Ichigo frowned. "How could it have taken so much, yet so little for this?" he wondered.

'_**Will you stay or go?'**_ Kyoka Zangetsu asked.

"_What?"_ Ichigo was baffled by his zanpakuto's sudden question.

'_**Will you wait here for Aizen and bring up questions as to how you knew to remain here, or will you pretend to follow Abarai and Rukia?'**_

Ichigo paused. It was a valid question. _'What would happen if I set up an illusion and stayed here, just behind the scaffold?'_

'_**You know the answer to that.'**_

"Can't fight if I'm weak from blood loss," Ichigo mused out loud, "Guess I'd better find Inoue."

'_**Then go quickly before Tousen intercepts Abarai.'**_

And Ichigo went.

White feathers fell through the air as far as the eye could see, falling to the floor where they made ripples as though it were water before being carried away on an unseen current. Here and there, unseen winds and eddies made small openings in the storm of feathers, showing multiple gears in various sizes; some still, others in motion at varying speeds, all of which were in various shades of opacity and translucence, all showing various signs of age; some newer, some older. In those very gaps in the storm of feathers, one could see where some areas rained flowers or different colored feathers, and there would be brief glimpses of images; pas, present, and future, and sometimes, very distantly, human figures in discussion, or meditating on the images that surrounded them. It was the realm of dreams, where Dreamseers had near absolute power, where they could meet and talk and exchange advice and warnings, or in the cases of the Dreamseers trapped by disability or handicaps, or even the greed of humanity, where they could have the support of others like them.

As a rule, Ichigo spent as little time here as possible, something his fellow Dreamseers knew and understood, and even supported. He was one of those rare Dreamseers who were mobile and unknown to the higher powers that ruled the nations, and so had freedom, and could enjoy life, and so was one of those Dreamseers through whose experience of a free semi-normal life, that other Dreamseers had a taste of normalcy. But now, he had need of advice and meditation on the changes that had occurred, and he was taking advantage of this brief respite in between the ending of his fight with Kuchiki Byakuya and the start of the very one-sided fight against Aizen to speak with his elders and peers. It was only natural, for all that their powers made Dreamseers knowledgeable in the goings on in the world they were by no means omniscient. That was left to the higher power known as God, or in the case of the shinigami, the High King of Seireitei, though in a world called Cephiro, the higher power in question was a little rabbit-like creature known interchangeably as The Creator or Mokona.

Ichigo shook his off-topic musings away. He relaxed the tight grip on his Dreamseer's ability that he'd maintained since the beginning of the incursion into Soul Society, and the white feathers turned pitch black, only the faint silver shimmer along their edges showing what was landing on the dark floor that was solid and glassy under his feet but rippling like water with each feather that landed on the glossy surface. The storm slowed and vanished, allowing him unimpeded movement across the distance, which like any other dream, was an unfathomable distance, made so by the fact that the faster he tried to move, the farther away his intended destination or target became. He allowed himself to drift lazily through the darkness and through shoji doors that materialized in front of him, and through a second door that brought him before a gathering of three other Dreamseers, one with waist length golden brown hair and catlike golden eyes dressed in a plain white yukata with a teal haori draped sloppily over his shoulders, another whose black shoulder length hair was French-braided, clad in a beige pantsuit, her emerald eyes sweeping toward him with detached curiosity, and the third, a little girl with black hair with dark violet highlights clad in a blue sundress carrying a matching parasol.

"Kurosaki Ichigo-san!" the little girl cried, "What brings you here? I thought you were guiding the shinigami through the Final Judgement?"

"I was," Ichigo said, "until an inevitable event sent ripples throughout my senses."

"Everyone sensed the change in gears," the man said. "It caused a lot of panic when visions suddenly started changing."

"I know," Ichigo nodded, "but what concerns me is that I cannot pinpoint what caused the change. As far as I know, everything went exactly as it should have."

"Perhaps a minor event had an unexpected result?" the dark haired woman asked.

"That's what I thought as well," Ichigo agreed, "But as I said, I can't seem to pinpoint what might have changed."

"Hmm…" The dark haired woman closed her eyes and her sigil glowed briefly, "Would you mind showing us the original event from the beginning and then the event as it occurred, Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo nodded and his sigil glowed and the ground rose up as a glowing dark burgundy liquid and swallowed the four Dreamseers…

TBC…


	5. Judgment 4: The Fallen

**Scatter the Illusions of Life**

Disclaimer: BLEACH and belongs to Tite Kubo and related distributers.

Summary: Dreamseers know intimately that sleep is merely a facsimile of death, and that illusions are shadows of dreams, making it ridiculously easy for them to alter the tapestry of existence in the realms of the dead. For this reason, it is forbidden for a Dreamseer to interfere in the affairs of the dead. Until a retired shinigami captain's son began to dream true dreams….

**A/N:** I think I should make this clear. There will be references to works by Clamp, but this is _not_ a crossover. This is more of a mixing of concepts.

Judgment 4: The Fallen

"_What is that warped spiritual pressure?"_

"_Heh! You've broken every bone in your body! I'll show you the proper way to use a Bankai!"_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Forever is a long time to live, but for Dreamseers, forever could be a single moment in which their visions change, rendering plans unusable and requiring new tactics and approaches to guide their charges to the best possible future that was beneficial not only to the people involved, but to the human race as a whole. In the ten years that I've been aware of those true dreams that I see both when I am awake and asleep, I had never experienced a Dreamseer's idea of eternity. Until now…**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I think I have figured out what went wrong, Kurosaki-kun."

"Really now?"

The pale haired man chuckled. "You are so condescending when you hide your curiosity, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo blushed. "My apologies, Kaguya-dono."

Kaguya chuckled and waved the apology off. "In your previous visions, the Captains were more concerned about the fact that the halberd was destroyed, and somewhat surprised that you had blocked its initial blow right?"

Ichigo nodded, "Yes. The original vision was played out exactly."

"Not quite," the little girl said, "The vision led you to reveal at least a fraction of your involvement to a shinigami, but only five shinigami, yourself included, knew that a Dreamseer was involved, right?" Ichigo nodded and the girl said, "Well, that is where the deviation took place."

Ichigo frowned, "So it has something to do with the knowledge of a Dreamseer's involvement?"

"Someone knows who should not," the dark haired woman agreed. "Discover their identity and how much they know, and then plan the future accordingly."

Ichigo bowed, "Thank you, Kaguya-dono, Higurashi-dono, Minasaki-kun."

The dark haired woman nodded, and the girl threw her arms around Ichigo's waist.

"Come back and visit soon, Ichigo-san!" she said, releasing him and stepping back. "You don't come around nearly enough!"

"I will try, Minasaki-kun," Ichigo said, "Thank you, for the advice. I take my leave."

"Farewell," Higurashi said solemnly as the teen's form scattered in a storm of black feathers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**There are three constants in existence of any shape or form. First is that "There are no such things as coincidences, only Hitsuzen," or as most call it, the inevitable. Second is that the wisest course of action at any time is to "Expect the unexpected." The third is that "The future is never set in stone." However, there is a fourth constant that only the Cardmistress, who is acknowledged as the most powerful magician since Clow Reed, one Kinomoto Sakura, has ever put into words, and it is "In the end, everything will turn out alright." The latter is one idea that I held closest to my heart even to the end of all things. I have faith in my friends, and the shinigami are my friends, for it has been the better part of a year since they were last anything but my charges, and I do believe that they will persevere. In the end, the future has not been decided yet…**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo sighed as he shunpoed across Seireitei. He'd emerged from the Dreamseer's Collective just in time to hear the fourth Division vice-Captain's announcement sound across Seireitei. Really, there was simply not enough time for anything to be done anymore. He'd just have to play it by the ear and hope that everything will turn out alright. He made it to the execution grounds in time to see Aizen raising his blade above his head, and bring it down toward Renji's exposed neck.

"Damn!" Ichigo whispered and put on a burst of speed to come up behind Aizen, and his hand reached out to grasp Kyoka Suigetsu's blade.

"Oh?" Aizen turned his head slightly to see a droplet of red hit his shoulder.

"Why are you crouching down for?" Ichigo said quietly, "Get up, Abarai. I'll lend you a hand."

"Lend him a hand?" Aizen smiled, "How do you propose to do that when…" Aizen spun around, his hand reaching out, and there was a tearing sound and the world shifted, and there was a tear in the air, revealing Ichigo standing behind him, blade drawn, "your own illusory ability can't even slow me down, ryoka boy?"

Ichigo smiled. "Because I am more than a simple illusionist," the teen said amiably as his body dispersed in a flurry of black feathers.

Aizen turned around in time to see Renji, still clutching Rukia to his chest, leap away from him. He turned and held up a finger and a black blade was stopped, the teenager clad in a ragged black coat stared in surprise.

"What?"

Aizen folded his finger down to hold the blade between his index and middle fingers, and the boy gasped as a spray of… black feathers filled the air?

Aizen looked up to find Ichigo midway between the traitorous Captain and Renji's position, a hand pressed against his torso. The bandages that had been wrapped around his torso up to his neck had been cut clean through, though the slash across his torso was shallow.

"Fast aren't you?" Aizen smiled.

Ichigo's smile was strained, "Fast enough to match Kuchiki Byakuya for a while, but not fast enough to evade harm apparently. But what more can you expect from someone who has been a shinigami for less than a year?"

"At least you know your faults," Aizen vanished, and reappeared behind the teen.

A spray of blood filled the air, and Ichigo hit the ground, his eyes closed. Then Renji's eyes widened as Aizen vanished again, and he gasped as his blood burst out of a long gash running across his torso.

"Dammit…" He growled as he fell forward into darkness.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He couldn't believe his eyes when he arrived on the execution grounds. The Fourth Division Vice-Captain had been telling the truth! Komamura Sajin roared in anger as he drew his blade and brought it down against the traitor, only to find that Aizen had blocked the attack.

"It's been a while since I last saw that unmasked face, Komamura-kun."

"How can you stand there and smile even as you betray us?!" Komamura roared, "I won't forgive you for this, nor you either, Tousen!"

He leapt back and gathered his power. "Bankai!"

"Well now, we can't have that."

"What? Impossible! Aizen… He's still next to Tousen!"

"Hado no kyuujyuu: Kurohitsugi."

Komamura felt fear lance through him as he was encased in a cube of darkness, and prepared to evade what he could of the hado, only to find a red sigil appear on all sides of him, blocking the hado with a quiet _thump!_ Komamura's eyes widened in shock as the attack faded away, and with it, the sigils.

"What's this?" Aizen murmured, "It seems you are far more skilled than I thought."

A quiet voice that was not his Zanpakuto whispered in his mind, _'Hold your peace…'_

'_I never argue with a Dreamseer,'_ Komamura thought in reply, and his Zanpkuto's avatar radiated disapproval over his pert attitude. The presence faded, leaving a faint spark of amusement.

"Kurosaki!" a male voice suddenly called.

"Kurosaki-kun!" a female voice echoed.

"Don't come any closer!"

Komamura glanced at the wounded child on the ground as the teen yelled at the newcomers on the execution grounds.

Ichimaru Gin stepped between Aizen and the approaching children. "Ah, you lot aren't coming any closer." He released his spiritual pressure on them, driving them to their knees.

Aizen shrugged, "Well, there's no help for it. We don't have much time after all."

He reached into his clothes and drew out a small violet tube, which he activated. As green, spire-like objects thrust up from the ground, Aizen tossed Rukia into the air and plunged his hand into her chest. He withdrew his hand, allowing Rukia to fall unheeded onto the ground as Aizen studied the small, jewel-like object in his hand.

"So this is the Hougyoku… I never imagined that it would be so small." He spared a glance at Rukia and murmured, "Oh? So the soul itself is unharmed?" Aizen chuckled as he put the Hougyoku into his pocket. "Such magnificent technology. Ah, well…" He reached own and picked up Rukia by the reiatsu sealing collar around her neck and said, "I have no more use for you." He turned, holding the smaller shinigami away from his body, "Kill her, Gin."

"Ara," Ichimaru said, turning away from the children he had been pushing his spiritual pressure on and drawing his sword, "As you wish, Aizen-taicho. Ikorose: Shinso."

There was a flurry of black and white that passed Aizen, and a spray of copper scented red filled the air and dripped to the ground.

"Nii-sama…" Rukia whispered.

Byakuya gasped and spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground as the blade was drawn out of his body, and he fell to his knees, only supported by Rukia's arms around his shoulders.

"Sorry about that," Ichimaru said in an unrepentant tone as Shinso withdrew, "I let him get past me."

"There's nothing to it," Aizen said lightly, stepping toward the two Kuchiki, and laying a hand lightly on Kyoka Suigetsu's hilt. Two flashes of bronze and black passed Aizen and he stopped. "My, here's another nostalgic face," he remarked.

"If you make even one move," Yoruichi said warningly.

"I'll cut your head off," Soi Fong finished.

"As much fun as that sounds, I'm afraid I will have to decline." Aizen said with a small, almost unseen, smile.

Yoruichi's eyes widened as the implications shot through her brain. "SOI FONG!! GET OUT OF THE WAY!!"

Soi Fong and Yoruichi jumped clear just as Aizen, Tousen, and Ichimaru were engulfed in light descending from the cloudless sky. The shinigami stared in shock as a claw rent the air and hundreds of Menos Grande were seen through the sizable rip.

Those gathered on the ground, still able to fight, prepared for another attack when a sharp command from the Soutaicho stopped them in their tracks.

"We cannot take them whilst they are surrounded. This is a tactic the Menos Grande use when they wish to rescue their fellows. Those inside can neither attack nor be attacked while remaining in the light."

Aizen stared down at the shinigami as he and Tousen and Ichimaru ascended. "Foolish." He ran a hand through his hair absently, slicking the brown locks back. His remaining hand rose to his face and took hold of his spectacles lightly. "You have no hope of defeating me. Seireitei will fall." His fingers abruptly tightened their grasp and shattered the delicate metal and glass. "And I will sit above even the Heavens."

The three traitors vanished into the cupped hands of the Menos and they sent a final look at the gathered shinigami below before the Menos pulled back and the rift closed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shigekuni lay down in his futon with a sigh, and immediately found himself staring out over a vast expanse of darkness punctuated with a shower of cherry blossom petals, and before him was a young man in a plain beige yukata with a red sigil on his forehead, his waist length orange hair fluttering in a nonexistent wind as he watched the rain of cherry blossoms.

"Ichigo," he said.

The Dreamseer turned his head slightly to look at the aged shinigami, and Shigekuni said carefully, "I received an interesting account from two of my captains today…"

"Yes," Ichigo nodded, his brown eyes were resigned and sad, "I was careless with the first, and reacted instinctively with the second."

"Your wounds…"

"Are trivial compared to what I may receive in the future."

Shigekuni frowned at the teens tone. "Ichigo…"

"This is as much my destiny as it is yours," Ichigo said quietly. "You know I would not be here otherwise."

"I would have thought that you would approach me in person once I received the reports from Hitsugaya-taicho and Komamura-taicho," Shigekuni said quietly.

"And how would we explain that?" Ichigo's voice was mild, "I am not one of your Captains or even a member of your Gotei 13. We have no reason to interact outside of the most cursory of meetings. No, simpler to meet in dreams. Less chance of Aizen finding out that Seireitei has the guidance of a Dreamseer."

"What is next?"

"I do not know."

"You don't?"

Ichigo smiled. "I have been trying to stay alive these few days. What little time I could spend in Dreams, I spent guiding your actions. What visions I have seen, I saw before I ever entered Soul Society, and in a single moment of destructive splendor, the course of the future has changed."

"I thought the future was set in stone?"

"All actions determine the future but for a particular few that lead to new crossroads. The basic nature of humans is such that living or dead, our fates may be foreordained, but the end result is ours to decide."

"I do not know what I fear more, the possible repercussions of Aizen's ambitions, or the ambiguity of a Dreamseer's advice."

"I believe there is a saying in the spiritually aware community: _'Expect the unexpected and in the end, everything will be alright.'_ And it is a very good piece of advice, although I personally think that it's about as clear as the riddles an older Dreamseer will give you."

"Ah, suddenly I have proof that you are as young as you look!"

Ichigo's perplexed look sent the aged captain commander into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He sensed the presence long before it had entered the room, the quiet sound of footsteps and the soft breathing of someone trying to be quiet, and the suppressed aura that did nothing to hide the icy cold of the open tundra in the grip of winter. The owner of the presence entered the room and closed the door, and he himself did not rise from the warmth of his dreams, though he allowed a tendril of his power to lightly ghost along the boundaries of the intruding presence's mind, in the depth of which, he sensed a presence that was icy and powerful, and the rustling of scales over the creaking of sinewy muscle coiled tight and ready to spring if he should try to intrude.

'_Why are you here?'_ he sent the thought toward the presence.

'_**My master would speak to you, Yumemi,'**_ came a low rumble, almost a beastial growl.

'_Speak and I will answer,'_ he answered calmly.

"I would like for you to help Hinamori," a young male voice said.

'_I am a Dreamseer, Shinigami Captain, not a mind healer.'_

"Can't you do something for her?"

'_Her downfall was assured the moment she became enamored with Aizen Sousuke. If I could have done something for Hinamori Momo, I would have done so long ago. For now, counseling, time and distance is all that she needs, though she can only be saved if she wishes it.'_

"There is really nothing you can do?"

'_I am truly sorry, Were I older, I could perhaps try to heal her mind, but at my age, my skill in the Mind Arts only extends to speaking as we are now, mind to mind."_

"I see. Now, why are you here? I thought Dreamseers aren't supposed to get involved in shinigami affairs?"

'_We do not choose our destiny, and mine is to guide Seireitei through the Final Judgment, which will determine what world order humans will live under.'_

"The difference between the established order and the order that Aizen desires?"

'_Perhaps. Even the wisest cannot tell.'_

"Will you continue to be this active or will you step back to guide us from the material world?"

'_Aizen is now aware of me, or at least, what he perceives as a child with an illusion based Zanpakuto. I cannot withdraw Kurosaki Ichigo from the upcoming conflict without attracting unwanted attention.'_

"Who else knows?"

'_About me? It would be best if no one else knows about the involvement of a Dreamseer.'_

"Fine. I'll see you in the morning then."

'_Until we meet again then.'_

He waited until he heard the door open and close before he opened his eyes and sat up, wincing as the movement pulled at still tender flesh. He glanced out the window, watching as the sky grayed and sighed. If he were honest with himself, he didn't want to use his powers over much, which was why he kept finding excuses not to dream of the new future.

'I can't put it off for much longer,' he thought pensively. 'But it seems as if every time I prepare to Dream, something or someone interrupts.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC…

**SanadaSayuri's Random Babbling:** Well, I wonder how the future will change? Anyway, I'm curious, anyone want some romance in this story? Please let me know in the poll at the top of my profile page.


	6. Judgment 5: The Deceiver of Fools

**Scatter the Illusions of Life**

Disclaimer: BLEACH and belongs to Tite Kubo and related distributers.

Summary: Dreamseers know intimately that sleep is merely a facsimile of death, and that illusions are shadows of dreams, making it ridiculously easy for them to alter the tapestry of existence in the realms of the dead. For this reason, it is forbidden for a Dreamseer to interfere in the affairs of the dead. Until a retired shinigami captain's son began to dream true dreams….

**A/N:** I think I should make this clear. There will be references to works by Clamp, but this is _not_ a crossover. This is more of a mixing of concepts.

Judgment 5: The Deceiver of Fools

"_To sink so low as to join the Menos, what are you trying to do?" _

"_To go higher." _

"_Have you fallen in the process Aizen?!" _

"_You are too arrogant Ukitake. No one stands at the top of the world. Not you, nor the gods. But the unbearable vacancy of the throne in the sky is over. From now on I will be sitting on it."_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**I am called Kurosaki Ichigo, son of former shinigami Kurosaki Isshin and his wife Masaki, Fifteen years old and a somewhat ordinary high school student. I say somewhat ordinary because most high school students don't have the power to dream true dreams, you see, I am a Dreamseer, but even among Dreamseers I am unique. Everything began when I began dreaming of my involvement in the affairs of Soul society, or as most people call it, Heaven. I met a shinigami called Kuchiki Rukia who saved me and my family, but in the process she was wounded. She gave me her powers and turned me into a shinigami, but in Soul Society, to give your power to a human is a crime. I fought for her, but in the end, she was taken away and was set to be executed. Urahara Kisuke trained me to use kido and shunpo to augment my abilities as a shinigami. I led my godbrother Ishida Uryuu, my protecters Sado Yasutora and Inoue Orihime, and my teacher Shihouin Yoruichi, who takes on the form of a cat, into Soul Society to save Rukia, but to do so, we had to fight through a city filled with shinigami. In the end, my vision of the future changed, and there was no time to stop and consider what had happened since turmoil filled Seireitei. Now there are those who know of a Dreamseer's involvement who should not know, and I am worried, for suddenly, my dreams are filled with sorrow and suffering and I fear for the future …**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"_Disintegrate and vanish from before me. Bankai! Weave the Illusions of Fate! Tensa Kyoka Zangetsu!"_

"_Watch as this person you have put your hopes on falls."_

"_Eh? What was that? Where did you get the idea that the Espada are One to Ten? We are Zero to Nine! And I am number Zero Espada!"_

"_How pathetic. You haven't even budged me."_

"_The shark attacks once, and the ice dragon falls into the sea…"_

"_Release the seal, Soi Fong-taicho!"_

"_I cannot. Normally, a captain or a Vice-Captain has a seal applied immediately after they step through the gate, but this time, we came through without a seal. This means the Captains are already fighting at full power."_

"_From now until the end of this battle, you will experience despair."_

"_You're next old man. You'll pay for taking their lives."_

"No!" Ichigo bolted upright in the bed breathing heavily. He glanced over at his alarm clock and sighed, and got out of bed. It seemed he wouldn't be sleeping anymore, not that it mattered. He had school anyway.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

During the lunch period, Ishida, ichigo, and Sado retreated to the roof. During that time, Ishida studied the Dreamser pensively.

Finally toward the end of the lunch period, the Quincy said, "I would like for you to stop getting involved, Ichigo. Guide the shinigami from a distance as is traditional among Dreamseers. It would be a disaster if you were permanently hurt because you're on the frontlines."

"Much as I would like to, Aizen is already aware of me. I can't just stop and drop out of sight without drawing suspicions."

"Then stop being so visible. Fight Hollows in your immediate vicinity and leave the rest for the shinigami. Don't get into fights unless provoked. Be involved, yet not. If you say you came because of a debt, no one will argue, because in the end, it's true. If you say you took Rukia's powers because at the time, there was no choice, and because you wanted to protect your family, no one will dispute that, because that's true too. No one will say anything if you decide to step back and leave the rest to the shinigami. Other than this particular mission, you have no obligations to them."

Ichigo frowned. "I will think on it."

Ishida sighed. "That will do for now then."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"_Kurosaki Ichigo!"_

"_Oy, what the hell?"_

"_You have to be joking…"_

"_Kurosaki Ichigo! I know you're there, Kurosaki Ichigo!"_

"_Who's that? Do you know him, Kurosaki?"_

Ichigo closed his eyes and released a slow breath. When he opened his eyes, a brief flare of red appeared on his forehead, and if the shinigami in his vision was outside yelling for him, no one could hear him, and for all that he was in a gigai, no one noticed him either. Ichigo's lips curled upward in a satisfied smirk, and those who saw it had to wonder what was going through the orange haired teenager's mind to bring such an evil look to his face.

_Annoying Abarai is rather amusing._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The last class of the day ended and Ichigo stretched languidly as he left the school building, his schoolbag held over one shoulder. He sensed the presence behind him and belatedly remembered the masking spell he'd slapped onto the shinigami the second he'd stepped through the school gates. He cut the power to the spell and Abarai Renji, wearing the strangest combination of clothes including lime green bellbottoms, shimmered into sight, yelling at him the entire time.

"You're drawing unwanted attention, Abarai," Ichigo's voice was amiable.

"I wouldn't be drawing attention if you'd have come down to begin with!"

"And how is shinigami tomfoolery more important than my education, Abarai? Humans need an education to gain jobs which allow us to have basic necessities, food and shelter among them. No, Abarai, if you arrive in the Material World during class time screaming my name, I will ignore you until classes end, unless the matter is an urgent one, in which case, I will come down and meet you. Otherwise, my education is my primary priority."

Abarai Renji glared at the teenager. The child was far too much like his Captain for his liking. "Do you ever think of anything beside your duty?" the redhead hissed.

Ichigo's shoulders tensed and he said calmly, "In this life, there is nothing but the duty to see the inevitable and pretend that our destiny is our own. There is only the duty to survive."

"If that's what you believe, then I pity you, Kurosaki."

Ichigo's lips curled upward in a wry smile. "Then it's a good thing that I don't believe it, isn't it, Abarai?"

Renji blinked as he watched the teenager walk away. Kurosaki Ichigo seemed to be nothing more than a bundle of contradictions. One moment he was as cold and impersonal as a Kuchiki, the next, he was like any other person, not to mention that Hitsugaya-taicho and the Sotaicho seemed unusually concerned for his safety.

"What are you waiting for, Renji?" Ichigo called over his shoulder, "We'll be late!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo leaned against a wall, his eyes dark as he watched Hisagi Shuuhei attack Rukia. Zangetsu thrummed with power in his hand, the long tassels wrapped around his wrist to support the sprained appendage.

_**Inoue will be here soon.**_

_Hopefully before Hisagi kills Rukia._

_**Have a little faith. Inoue will free Rukia from the Bounto's influence.**_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo's eyes were angry as he watched Ishida speaking quietly with Yoshino. The downed Bounto smiled weakly and her eyes closed, and Ishida's voice rose in grief as he cried out her name even as her body dissolved. Ichigo watched as the reishi that Yoshino's body dissolved into floated upward into a massive array rotating slowly beneath Kariya Jin.

"Don't worry," Kariya smiled, "Her death will only serve to make us stronger…"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, and movement around the Bounto mansion stopped as shadows began to warp and nondescript men in black suits wearing shades appeared.

"Shikigami?" Kariya murmured, then his eyes widened. "Shit! Messer!" The wind kicked up, tearing the spell paper servants apart, scattering a storm of torn paper.

There was a flash of light and a translucent female figure with long hair and dressed in traditional Chinese robes wielding a halberd of ghostly flames manifested.

Kariya's eyes widened further as the woman attacked him, and this time, his Doll could not tear it apart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ishida shrank back slightly as his God-Brother turned smoldering bistre eyes set in a cold, impassive face on him and said in a low, even voice, "What were you hoping to accomplish with this, Uryuu? I hope you realize that the Bounto will be all but invincible in the reishi rich atmosphere of Soul Society."

Ishida shivered as Ichigo swept past him without another word. Oh, yes, Ichigo was furious if the near lack of his normally loose flowing reiatsu was any indication.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Yuzu is missing?!" Ichigo stared at his father in shock. "Why didn't I know about this!?"

Isshin ran his fingers through his hair. "I only just realized it," the former shinigami admitted. "But I do have an impression of where she might be."

"And that is?"

"With the Bounto."

Ichigo's lips thinned. "They're in Seireitei."

"I know. Bring her home, Ichigo."

"Yuzu will be my first priority," Ichigo snapped and stormed up stairs to pack.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hitsugaya Toushiro shivered as he opened his eyes to see a vast expanse of darkness as white feathers fell from the sky to fall to the floor, which rippled as though it were water. His eyes fell on the still figure clad in a beige kimono, unruly orange spiked hair ruffling in a nonexistent wind as he looked down at a smaller figure in a blue kimono in front of him. The teen turned toward him, and Hitsugaya resisted the urge to flinch at the suppressed fury in bistre eyes.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," Ichigo said, his voice shaking in barely restrained anger, "It has come to my attention that the Bounto may have taken a human child hostage."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in anger. "You want me to find her?"

The teenager stepped aside, revealing a small girl with short cropped golden brown hair and warm hazel eyes. "This is Yuzu, eleven years old; she comes from a family of high spiritual awareness. But unlike her elder brother and sister, she is only strong enough to sense the presence of a spirit. She vanished a few hours before Matsumoto-fuku-taicho, Hisagi-fuku-taicho, Madarame San-Seki, and Ayasegawa Roku-Seki tracked the Bounto into the cave. She was last seen in the presence of the Bounto known as Kouga. If she is in Soul Society, then she will be alone and frightened. If you can, please find out where the Bounto may be holding her. I will be in Soul Society in several hours to search for her."

"You know her?"

Ichigo paused and nodded. "She is my sister."

Teal eyes turned cold. "We'll find her."

"Thank you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ichigo stood on the cliff side overlooking Soul Society surrounded by his friends, and surprisingly, he was not present as a shinigami. It was a magnificent sight, though he wasn't looking at the city sprawled beneath them. His eyes were closed and his senses were stretched to the limit as he sought the distinctive pattern of his younger sister's spiritual pressure.

"Have you found anything?" Ichigo asked suddenly.

The people around him jumped at the question asked seemingly out of the blue.

"Found what?" Rukia asked tentatively.

"No," a young male voice replied from behind them.

"Taicho!" Matsumoto cried, "What are you doing here?"

Hitsugaya ignored his lieutenant and said, "Thus far, all we can be sure of is that she is not in Seireitei."

"Rokungai then."

"It's a very large place, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya said, "Our best bet is to take one of the Bounto alive for interrogation if we want to get the girl out intact."

Ichigo opened his eyes and turned to face the tenth Division Captain. "Is the Sotaicho aware of this?"

"Yes. I told him. He was not pleased."

"But he will cooperate?"

"Yes. I've taken the liberty of asking Soi Fong to assist us also."

"Thank you."

"They had no right to bring children into this. I thought I should warn you though," Hitsugaya's lips twitched, "Unohana-taicho is furious and she will insist on a full check up once the girl is retrieved."

Ichigo gave the white haired captain an incredulous look. "Did you tell _everyone_?"

Hitsugaya looked away and said, "The other Captains needed to know that the Bounto had taken a hostage in order to act appropriately."

Ichigo shook his head. "There's no help for it then. I will make this clear right now; my first priority is the safe retrieval of Kurosaki Yuzu. What Seireitei does to the Bounto is of no concern to me."

"None of us expect anything less."

"I will be in Rokungai if you need me." Ichigo paused and added, "And if I find Kurotsuchi within ten meters of my sister, I will have him turn to dust and leave my sight."

Hitsugaya swallowed a surprised shout as the teenager vanished.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A good number of Captains had been surprised when Hitsugaya and the Sotaicho had exchanged a look, and Hitsugaya had left the meeting at a brisk walk. Moments later, Hitsugaya returned, and his report on the teenager's reaction led to another look exchanged between the Sotaicho and the Tenth Division Captain before the aged Captain Commander laid a contemplating look on Kurotsuchi before asking, "Do you think he'll do it?"

Hitsugaya snorted, "He'll go through with it all right. No Truth beyond Fate indeed." He paused and said quietly, "And Kurosaki's furious. He's holding onto his temper with an iron grip, but even iron won't stand up to power like his for long."

"Nothing would," the Sotaicho agreed grimly.

The Captains exchanged confused looks at the grim expressions on the Sotaicho's and the Tenth Division Captain's faces.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A swirling vortex of razor sharp blades and cutting winds reached for the skies. In the midst of the deadly cyclone, two combatants faced each other, one stern and determined to bring down his enemy, the other confident in his skill to bring down his opponent to bring his plans to fulfillment.

"Heh," Kariya Jin smirked, "Defeating Kuchiki Byakuya with only one arm is child's play!"

Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "Are you insane?"

Did this fool honestly think that he could defeat him? Well, even if Kariya couldn't defeat him, Byakuya wasn't fighting to kill. The Bounto had a hostage taken from the living world, and Kurosaki was all but driving himself insane with anger and worry over the child's well being for some odd reason. If he killed Kariya, then the danger to Soul Society would be over, but a child would be trapped in Soul Society despite being a living human, but if he didn't kill Kariya, who was to say that the Bounto wouldn't kill him in turn?

A swirl of dark colored energy slammed into the vortex of blades and wind, forcing the two combatants to separate or risk injury. Two pairs of eyes turned toward the ginger haired teenager who stood at the edge of the clearing his eyes cool and his face impassive.

"I knew if I followed Kuchiki, he'd eventually lead me to you, Kariya," Ichigo's voice was level and cool.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya said, "You are not wanted here."

"Well," Kariya grinned, "So yet another big brother comes for revenge also huh? How's your sister?"

"I think you would know better than I would," Ichigo's tone didn't change. "Where is Yuzu?."

Byakuya resisted the urge to give the teen a surprised look. No wonder the boy had such a vested interest in the hostage's well being.

"Saa…" Kariya smirked.

"You do not intend to talk?"

"Why should I? Besides, even with the both of you, you cannot defeat me."

Ichigo's eyes darkened and he lifted his hand up in front of his face and snapped his fingers. The shadows around them warped and from the tree trunks and grass emerged a circle of figures with harsh, angular faces dressed in black suits with sunglasses. Glowing red eyes appeared in the trees. Byakuya blinked.

"Shikigami?" Kariya grinned, "So you were the one controlling the shikigami that attacked at the mansion? You shinigami are becoming very resourceful nowadays."

"Attack."

Byakuya flash stepped to the child's side as hundreds of paper spell servants surged forward in a rush of running legs still attached to the shadows, leaping figures and flapping wings.

"Illusions will not be enough to stop him," Byakuya said.

"No," Ichigo agreed, "But they will certainly annoy him. It is much easier to gain information from annoyed people. They tend to let things slip."

Suddenly, metal spheres began raining down from above, destroying the horde of spell servants, and Byakuya used flash step to evade harm. Ichigo seemingly stood still, untouched by the metal rain. Byakuya's eyes narrowed as he considered the teenager.

_By the time the spheres reach his position, he's already dodged,_ he realized.

As suddenly as it started, the rain of metal stopped, and other than the damage to the ground, there was no sign that a battle had ever taken place there. Ichigo surveyed the area with impassive eyes.

"So they're gone," he said, "too bad." His steps were slow and measured as he turned and walked away.

Byakuya frowned and used shunpo to leave. One of the former shinigami had once described humans as lambs to the slaughter. If that was the case, then Kurosaki Ichigo was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ishida sighed as he knocked on the door of the room in the First Division Headquarters that had been given to Ichigo. A quiet "Come in," was all the response he needed to enter. The teen was seated at a low table, a cup of tea in front of him. He had a knee drawn up close of his body, and an elbow rested on that knee and his chin rested in his hand. The teen was staring pensively at the opposite wall.

"The Bounto Yoshi had no idea that a hostage was taken," Ishida reported. "We can only assume that Kouga knew, as he was the last person seen in Yuzu's presence."

"Kariya knew," Ichigo's voice was quiet and steady. "However, we must also consider that former Eleventh Division shinigami, Maki Ichinose might have known as well, especially since none of us saw Yuzu go through the gate."

"Are you judging based on his Zanpakuto's ability to bend light?"

"Yes," Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he got to his feet and threw open another door that opened out to a courtyard, his eyes dark as he watched shinigami passing by outside. "He had to have been involved. There is no way I would have not seen Yuzu otherwise. The only question is how I could not have sensed her presence."

"Unless Ichinose harmonized his reiatsu to match Yuzu's and then compressed it," Ishida said blandly.

Ichigo turned and fixed a piercing look on the Quincy, and said coolly, "I am aware of the ways that reiatsu can be hidden, Uryuu." He tuned away and said quietly, "The only problem is the size of Soul Society and the amount of reiatsu here. It is nearly impossible to distinguish one spiritual aura from the other, much less the reiatsu of a frightened little girl."

"Don't loose hope just yet, Kurosaki!" Soi Fong snapped from behind Ishida. "The Bounto haven't been pushed into a corner yet, so she's safe for the time being. The time to worry is when they start getting desperate!"

Ichigo smiled sadly and said, "I have no hope to loose, Soi Fong-taicho. I only accept the inevitable."

"Your sister isn't dead yet! We'll find her!"

Ichigo turned away and said gently, "I know you will."

Soi Fong swallowed and said firmly, "We'll find her," and spun around and left.

Ishida glared at him. "You know exactly where she is," his tone was accusing.

"Kariya is cruel, but not entirely cold hearted. He recognized me the moment he saw me, and knew that if he took a hostage, even if the shinigami don't find her, I would. If I were not who I am, he would never have taken a hostage."

"You're testing them."

"They have holes in their surveillance. If they cannot overcome even that one simple fallacy, they will not be able to overcome others, and if that is the case, then they have no hope to gain victory, and it will be Aizen who decides the world order." Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "But it doesn't mean I am not angry. Of all the people to take hostage, he took my sister. If she is hurt, I will kill him."

Ishida shook his head. "So, are there anymore changes taking place?"

"Changes in plenty," Ichigo sighed. "Go to what's left of the Shrine of Penitence and look in on her. Knowing Kariya, he's so focused on his goal that he's completely forgotten that a child's physiology isn't capable of taking the abuse of an adult body."

Ishida stared at him. "And you haven't done anything about it yet?!"

"I am doing something about it," Ichigo's face was stony. "I've been visiting her dreams, and she knows I'm here. I was willing to leave her in the Bounto's care for the time being, but I didn't realize that Ichinose and Kariya would get so caught up that they'd forget that they have a child in their care. Retrieve my sister from the care of the Bounto and bring her to me. Covertly."

"I'm assuming you will not call off the search?"

"No." Ichigo sat down and sipped from his cup, making a face when he realized the liquid had gone cold. "I want to see exactly what the shinigami can do, and having to think of the well being of a hostage puts more pressure on them. The more I know about their ways, the more easily I can guide them."

"You've always balked at moving humans like chess pieces, and I think I should remind you that shinigami or not, they're still human souls," Ishida said.

"I know," Ichigo stared into his teacup. "But in this case, I have no choice. I can only follow the path that has been laid out beneath my feet."

Ishida nodded. "Yuzu will be back under your care by tomorrow night at latest."

Ichigo swallowed hard and nodded. "Thank you, Uryuu."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Unohana-taicho blinked to find a blur of white and gold appear in her office, a small blue bundle cradled in Kurosaki Ichigo's arms. Her eyes widened as she realized who exactly it was that the teenager had brought to her.

"Come this way, Kurosaki-san," she said calmly, "and put her on the bed."

"Uryuu found her…" Ichigo's voice was cool and his voice impassive, though Unohana could see the tension in the boy's shoulders and the restrained fury in his eyes, "Please take care of her, Unohana-san. I have a Bounto I need to kill."

He gently laid the girl on the bed and left.

"Wait, Kurosaki-san!"

Too little too late, Unohana thought as the boy vanished, leaving only the child in her care to show that he had ever been there. She sighed and turned her eyes onto the child in front of her.

"Well then, child," she murmured, "Let's see what's gotten Kurosaki-san so upset."

Thrity Minutes Later….

"Kurosaki-san… I hope you make that bastard suffer…." The venomous whisper was barely audible in the quiet room.

Throughout the Fourth Division hospice, the Fourth Division members twitched as their Captain's reiatsu, normally light and comforting became dark and oppressive.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, the Captain's Meeting was interrupted when a severely beaten Kariya Jin fell through the ceiling, followed by a beautiful woman carrying a blade wreathed in flame. Ichigo stalked in through the door, his black overcoat swaying gently with every movement and his hand reached out. The woman's form shifted, blurred, and vanished, and a strip of paper floated down into Ichigo's outstretched hand.

"I thought you might like to take a shot at him once Unohana-san finishes her report," Ichigo's voice was silky and light.

"Please excuse me for a moment," Unohana said, and she broke ranks to stand behind Kariya who was weakly attempting to lever himself to his knees. "This is for not keeping a better eye on your subordinates around that little girl!" she snarled as she drew her foot back and kicked the man between the legs. Hard.

A high pitched scream of pain echoed through the First Division Headquarters and all males present, with the exception of Ichigo, winced. The teen nodded once the screaming had died away.

"The hostage was my first priority, and she has been retrieved," he said calmly, "My companions and I will now take our leave, and we will see the girl back to her family." He turned to leave, paused, and added, "As for the Bounto. Well, they're none of my concern. Do to them what you will." And then he vanished.

The Captain-Commander sighed. "Well, it seems the threat has been mostly neutralized…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Thank you for coming after me, Ichi-nii. I'm sorry I was such a burden."

"Nonsense, Yuzu. You're never a burden."

"But--"

"No Yuzu. I was careless. I was paying more attention to my duty than to my own flesh and blood. If I were more careful, you would have never gotten caught up in all of this."

"Brother…"

"Let's just go home, Yuzu. Goat-chin is probably half out of his mind with worry by now."

"Okay, Brother."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC…

**SanadaSayuri's Random Babbling:** Okay… Assuming that StIoL gets that far, what pairings?


	7. Judgment 6: The Spiritual Garden Part1

**Scatter the Illusions of Life**

Disclaimer: BLEACH and belongs to Tite Kubo and related distributers.

Summary: Dreamseers know intimately that sleep is merely a facsimile of death, and that illusions are shadows of dreams, making it ridiculously easy for them to alter the tapestry of existence in the realms of the dead. For this reason, it is forbidden for a Dreamseer to interfere in the affairs of the dead. Until a retired shinigami captain's son began to dream true dreams….

**A/N:** I think I should make this clear. There will be references to works by Clamp, but this is _not_ a crossover. This is more of a mixing of concepts.

**A/N2:** I'm aware that some if not all readers are unhappy with how quickly the last chapter went, especially with all the time skips. Please rest assured, you'll all learn more about what happened as the story progresses, especially with the conditions that led to Unohana's little temper tantrum over Yuzu's condition.

Judgment 6: The Spiritual Garden (Part 1)

"_How are you feeling Yuzu?"_

"_Tired. I'm sorry you had to come to get me, nii-san. I know you have important things to take care of."_

"_And my sister being safe and healthy is not important?"_

"_Not when the world is at stake."_

"_Yuzu."_

"_Please, nii-san, the fact that you were always watching me made it a lot more bearable, because I knew you wouldn't let anything happen to me, but you also have to guide the Final Judgment…"_

"_Where did you get this fatalistic attitude, kitten?"_

"_You're a bad influence, nii-san."_

* * *

**All dreamseers know that it is forbidden for us to interfere in the affairs of the dead. Since sleep is a facsimile of death, and we manipulate the state of sleep, it would be far too easy for us to drastically change the state of death if we were to gain some foothold in the afterlife, and thus, the Creator forbade us from crossing the boundary of life and death without due cause, the ending of our lives being one of them. I, however, through no choice of my own, crossed that boundary when my mother passed on to me her latent Dreamseeing abilities, making me not only the child of a human shinigami union, but a Dreamseer with the power to break the great taboo and come to no harm. Even now, I do not fully comprehend the reason behind this, and nor do I want to know, for the price of knowledge can be a heavy one, yet I fear that I will eventually find myself with the need for this knowledge…**

* * *

The storm of dark colored feathers vanished as the Dreamseer waved a hand, stepping into the ruins of the Senzaikyu where the golden brown haired girl lay, her knees drawn to her chest and her arms locked around her knees. A satin scarf was wrapped around her neck and knotted and attached to the knot was a rope that was bound to a stake that was driven into the ground. She'd been leashed and collared like a dog. Rage rushed through him, and despite years of training, it took effort not to allow his emotions to get the better of him and affect the dream in which he stood.

"_Nii-san?"_

"What have they done to you, Little One?" he asked gently, although in his heart of hearts, he did not want to know, though he was sure he knew already.

"_It's cold, Nii-san, and I'm hungry. Kariya-san used to bring food and blankets, but he hasn't been here in a while."_

"Don't worry, I'll send someone to fetch you back. Hang in there, alright?"

"_Please come quickly, Nii-san. There is another man there, not the one that brought me through, but another one… He scares me, Nii-san…"_

"Oh, Yuzu… Dear little sister…," he murmured, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder as her form dissolved in a flurry of black feathers.

He woke in his blue patterned room, lying on white bed sheets with a Dreamseer's magic circle embroidered with absolute care in off white, just a shade or two darker, so that the circle with arrays for clear dreaming and protection from ill influences could only be seen if the light hit it just right. Just a dream, he thought, as he rose from the bed and on bare feet, silently padded across his room, down the hall, to a door that he opened just a crack, and peeped through to see the two beds on opposite sides of the room, one with pale rose covers empty, the one with forest green covers containing the two sisters curled around and over each other, a small pile of human limbs and hair as his two sisters clung to each other for dear life, as if fearing that one or the other would vanish forever.

At the moment, they were safe. He had brought Yuzu back from Soul Society, safe if not undamaged. There was still that chance that the two could be harmed because of the blood they shared, but for the moment, they were safe.

If it was necessary, Kurosaki Ichigo would give his life to keep it that way.

* * *

Tokyo, being a location of high spiritual activity was rarely quiet. Spiritualists from all classes and lifestyles and countries made journeys to Tokyo in some way at some point in their lives. For some spiritualists, the numerous few who were born and raised in the vicinity of the magical hub that was considered the most spiritually active location in this bitter, dying metaphysical existence, Tokyo was home, and the chaos and wards and the glinting of spells and wards and the constant swelling of power in all directions and the waxing and waning of life and the flashes of spirits and demons as they flitted here and there and were exorcised or left their physical vessel was only a mass of white noise, easily ignored and always there. Everyone knew that Karakura, in the northern district of the Tokyo urban sprawl, was the most spiritually active, just as the ground that had been the original city of Edo before it was renamed Tokyo was the sacred ground on which was built the ward stones that represented the powers of the Seven Dragons of Heaven that sealed away the seven Dragons of Earth. And so it was only fitting that it would be in Karakura that the most powerful of Dreamseers since the Princess Hinoto was born, average in terms of Dreamseer magic, strong because of his studies under the Princess before her death, powerful because of his capacity to interfere in the affairs of the dead. Fitting that he was born and raised in Karakura, and was destined to, though it was known to very few, even in the community of prophets, die in the defense of the very magical center upon which he was born and raised.

This Dreamseer was called Kurosaki Ichigo, and he was the son of a former shinigami captain, and he was the only Dreamseer to have ever divined his fate, for his life was entwined with the war that was the Final Judgment, a final battle to be fought by the dead, a judgment that would dwarf even the sacrifices of the Dragons of Heaven to determine the new world order that was to come. If the young Dreamseer who also served as a Representative Shinigami had any opinions of his fate to come, or the tragedies he had foreseen, he never spoke of it except in the vaguest of warnings. He was, after all, a Dreamseer and a guide for the shinigami in the conflict to come, and Kami only knew that a Dreamseer always followed the pattern set before them in obedient silence regardless of their feelings on the matter, and Kurosaki Ichigo was born and would die, first and foremost, a Dreamseer.

And that was why he did not warn Urahara or Yoruichi of the two Arrancar that would be arriving in the Material World from Hueco Mundo, and neither did he show his face anywhere near the park where the two Arrancar landed. He was sorry for Sado Yasutora's injuries and Arisawa Tatsuki's near death and Inoue Orihime's brush with forces that only crushed her because she could not bring herself to concentrate on her near godlike abilities, but he never spoke of what he had seen in his Dream, never mentioned that his vision spell had shown him everything that had occurred, and left Urahara and Yoruichi to drive away the Arrancar without his interference.

Yamamoto-Genryuusei Shigekuni only made passing mention of the teen's absence during the incursion when he sent Hitsugaya Toushiro to lead an advance squad into Karakura, because as Ichigo had once told Abarai Renji, he was only one person, and he had other duties which required his attention and he could not possibly be expected to be everywhere at once, and that meant that sometimes, he could not simply drop everything just because a Hollow, granted that an Arrancar is vastly different from the average Hollow but a Hollow nonetheless, decided that it wanted a human soul for a mid-afternoon snack. Soi-Fong and Kurotsuchi Mayuri were both of the opinion that the aged Captain Commander was playing favorites while everyone else was confused, except for Komamura Sajin, in whose mind a theory concerning the liberty given to the Representative Shinigami by the Sotaicho was beginning to form.

* * *

The ginger haired figure who moved through the streets of Tokyo dressed in a black yukata, dark green haori, and straw zori sandals attracted no more attention than other men and women who wore traditional garb while going about their business. A man clad in a black sweater and jeans with a white overcoat fell into step beside him, his mismatched green and gold eyes staring straight ahead and giving no indication of his feelings as the ginger haired male followed him step for step and turn for turn until they both came to Ueno Park, and they stopped in front of a massive sakura tree that bloomed out of season.

"What brings a Dreamseer of the Dead to seek of all people, the Sakurazukamori?"

"I wish to contract the Sakurazukamori for a time."

"Oh?" the man looked intrigued. "What can Sakurazukamori do that a Dreamseer of the Dead cannot?"

"I cannot protect those I love when I leave on business. I did not realize my sister had been taken until too late, and now she has been irreparably damaged."

Sakurazukamori nodded. "I will guard your kin then, when your spirit roams worlds away and your body lies sleeping."

"Now shall we will discuss payment?"

The dark haired man did not speak, and rather, he inclined his head to show his assent.

* * *

Yamamoto Genryusei Shigekuni twitched as the world rippled, but there was no transition to the dream world. Instead, Ichigo's voice whispered in his mind, and the aging captain commanded nodded in understanding.

"Of course," he agreed, "the temporary assignment of Hell Butterflies can be arranged." He paused and added quietly, "And how is your sister?"

Shigekuni shivered at the terse reply he received and said quickly, "Unohana Taicho has expressed a desire to see her again, if it is no trouble."

Whatever response he received made the man nod. "I'll speak with Unohana Taicho and you'll receive a Hell Butterfly once arrangements are made."

The response the Captain Commander received made him blink. "Sakurazukamori? He protects as well as destroys?!" Then looked sheepish, "Of course I know who he and his predecessor were! Of course, apologies…"

Whatever response the Captain Commander received made him shake his head, a glint of amusement in his eyes as the world rippled once more and the Dreamseer's presence vanished.

* * *

Ichigo rose from his bed and padded quietly on bare feet to his sisters' room. He opened the door and glanced inside, his eyes falling on the empty bed on the right of the window and looked to the left, where two girls were curled together, dark and light locks mingling on the shared pillow. It was a sweet picture, or it would be, if the young man was not aware of the reason behind the twins sharing of a bed when they hadn't done so since their mother had died.

Karen's eyes opened, and she turned her head to look at the door, to find it closed.

* * *

TBC…

**SanadaSayuri's Random Babbling:**


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